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Just because an athlete is your color, doesn't mean you or any members of his race did anything to get him there. Same with Olympians that are from your country.

This whole cheering for your country or color thing is craziness. As crazy as getting in a fight over your favorite sports team. People have an irrational compulsion to belong. They want to belong not to their community or their neighborhood but instead to a larger conglomeration.

It goes even deeper than that. I forget what the bias is called, but in experiments they separated people into two groups, and specifically told the two groups that the separation was completely random. The groups then perform some activity, or game against each other. Afterwards they ask respondants to rate traits of their group vs the other group and subjects always rated their own groups WAY higher in traits such as intelligence, team work skills, communication skills, effectiveness (or whatever, I'm going on memory).

Another anecdotal example of this effect. During my frosh week in first year of University, when nobody knew each other, where it was most of our first times away from home, and while we were doing a bunch of activities throughout the week to get to know each other, I noticed associations play out dramatically.

Don't even get me started on the ridiculous arguments I hear between Leafs and Senator hockey fans on a daily basis. It's like you have to suspend all rationality while participating in sports fandom. In fact, I think that's part of the appeal for most people. It's like giving people a free ticket to hate the 'other' and be given positive feedback.

Don't even get me started on the ridiculous arguments I hear between Leafs and Senator hockey fans on a daily basis. It's like you have to suspend all rationality while participating in sports fandom. In fact, I think that's part of the appeal for most people. It's like giving people a free ticket to hate the 'other' and be given positive feedback.

this applies to fandom of ALL TYPES, be it music, movies,comics,different artistic mediums,M-effiing breakfast cereal. consider the myriad conventions that are constantly going on across the country, shit never stops. when folks who like the same shit get together it first gets elitist at hell, then after that wears off they begin competing with one another to be the number one super fan.

It goes even deeper than that. I forget what the bias is called, but in experiments they separated people into two groups, and specifically told the two groups that the separation was completely random. The groups then perform some activity, or game against each other. Afterwards they ask respondants to rate traits of their group vs the other group and subjects always rated their own groups WAY higher in traits such as intelligence, team work skills, communication skills, effectiveness (or whatever, I'm going on memory).

Another anecdotal example of this effect. During my frosh week in first year of University, when nobody knew each other, where it was most of our first times away from home, and while we were doing a bunch of activities throughout the week to get to know each other, I noticed associations play out dramatically.

Can you expand on your question? You seem to have an assumption that I want Silva to disgrace himself. I'm unclear how you came to that conclusion.

It appears that's what you're saying...not that CW won, but that Silva threw the fight. I hate the man as a person but respect his talent immensely. You'll never convince me that Silva doesn't want to retire as the greatest fighter in UFC history. You're statements are contradictory throughout the discussion. You tell us he's great and a role model and then imply that he threw the fight.

It appears that's what you're saying...not that CW won, but that Silva threw the fight. I hate the man as a person but respect his talent immensely. You'll never convince me that Silva doesn't want to retire as the greatest fighter in UFC history. You're statements are contradictory throughout the discussion. You tell us he's great and a role model and then imply that he threw the fight.

I'm pretty sure I said that Silva beat himself and yes he is a role model to many.